FAA Reauthorization: Opportunity Exists to Address Safety, Capacity, and Efficiency Issues

GAO discussed the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1993, as well as other issues related to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) facilities and equipment, operations, and research activities. GAO noted that: (1) from fiscal year 1992 to 1993, Airport Improvement Program (AIP) discretionary funds decreased while the proportion of set-aside funds increased; (2) the Capital Investment Plan (CIP) has experienced serious cost and schedule problems with its major projects; (3) FAA has announced a major change to its air traffic control (ATC) facility consolidation plan that will increase CIP costs; (4) FAA needs to address long-standing modernization problems by developing well-supported mission need statements, supporting the development of alternative precision landing systems, and establishing goals to measure progress; (5) FAA needs a strategy to overcome ATC facility staffing imbalances; (6) opportunities exist for FAA to better use its inspector workforce; (7) FAA does not have reliable estimates on its maintenance technician staffing needs; (8) FAA has not provided resource estimates for its research, engineering and development (RE&D) efforts; (9) FAA is instituting new controls to set RE&D priorities and funding levels; (10) FAA efforts to track long-term research are under way; and (11) several interrelated factors will affect the success of the FAA RE&D program.